Film to tell controversial story of late Amarillo youth

Kellen Voss, left, sound mixer, and actors Dave Davis, center and MaeMae Renfrow prepare to film a scene in the pastures surrounding Cadillac Ranch. The film, set to premier in 2017, tells the story of a punk-rock Amarillo man, Brian Deneke, portrayed by Davis.

Jamie Brooks, center, Richard Porter, top left, Jake Wilganowski, top right, and actors MaeMae Renfrow, bottom left and Dave Davis discuss a scene of the feature film, "Bomb City," before filming. The film, set to premier in 2017, tells the story of the punk-rock Amarillo man, Brian Deneke, portrayed by Davis.

Brian Deneke, a 19-year-old Amarillo man, was killed Dec. 12, 1997 in a clash of cultures in the city.

Brian Deneke, a 19-year-old Amarillo man, was killed Dec. 12, 1997 in a clash of cultures in the city.

Brian Deneke dances with Stanley Marsh 3 while celebrating the move of Cadillac Ranch in August 1997.

A drone flew over Cadillac Ranch as the Strawberry moon rose Monday night behind the cast and crew of an upcoming feature-length film.

“Ladies and gentlemen, that’s a wrap on the principle photography on the feature film, ‘Bomb City,’” cried Sha’ree Green, first assistant director, over audible tears, applause and high-fives.

“I love you guys,” he said. They held Davis and smiled, There were no more words.

The film they’re making tells the story of Mike and Betty’s son, Brian Deneke, a 19-year-old Amarillo man killed Dec. 12, 1997. His parents came out to Cadillac Ranch on Monday night to watch photography of the final scene.

Dustin Camp, 17 in 1997, was convicted of manslaughter for plowing Deneke down with his Cadillac on a December night after a scuffle between high school preppies and Deneke’s stigmatized, punk-rock friends. While these two teenage cultures were never truly chums, the already-chaotic conflict escalated quickly leading to Deneke’s death.

According to Amarillo Globe-News files, the defense assured a Potter County jury that Camp acted out of self-defense, saying Deneke had attacked one of Camp’s friends with a chain. Camp also said he hit Deneke when his Cadillac slid on icy pavement.

In an outcome that’s still controversial today, Camp received only probation for Deneke’s death.

Deneke’s parents mentioned their son had been harassed because of his interest in punk-rock matched with his dark, edgy style, the Globe-News reported back then. They said Deneke was a compassionate individualist who simply looked a little different.

Producer Sheldon Chick said they are trying to finish the film in time for the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

The crew filmed Sunday and Monday in Amarillo after shooting in Dallas, and many of the 50-person crew who worked on this self-funded, independent film had been working in Dallas on a movie called “Queen of the South,” which premiers this week on the USA Network.

“Bomb City” is being produced by 3rd Identity Films, and independent film company. The movie was in development for three years, pre-production took five weeks, and there were 21 days of principle photography, which ended here in Amarillo.

Deneke was one of the young artists who worked on Stanley Marsh 3’s “Dynamite Museum” mock road signs that were distributed around Amarillo’s city streets in the 1970s, as well being a member of the crew that helped Marsh and others move Cadillac Ranch to its current location in 1997. Some of the scenes shot in Amarillo this week were in Marsh’s Toad Hall, and then at Cadillac Ranch.

Actor Ron Lester of “Varsity Blues” fame was originally cast in the film, but he became ill and was unable to join the production. Lester, 45, died Friday. Lester was a close friend of “Bomb City” executive producer Major Dodge.

Davis was cast as Deneke in the film. “I have to do this,” the actor said after initially reading through the script about this seemingly-hushed Amarillo story that headlined for months.

Dodge said it was because of the heart of Deneke’s story that he, writer and producer Chick, and director Jamie Brooks birthed a story of “punk-rockers in steer pastures,” of a failed justice system and the ongoing fight of acceptance among humanity’s varying cultures and groups.

“I have a six-year-old son, so when I sat across from Mike Deneke, and all these years later I could still see the pain behind his eyes, all that stuff went out the window and it just became about the human connection, father-to-father,” Dodge said. “And I looked him in his eyes and promised him we would tell Brian’s story.”

Producer and writer Chick was 15 years old when Deneke was killed. Living in Amarillo at the time, he remembers the newspaper’s front-page headlines and the talk around town. He said Deneke’s story in the movie is less about murder and more about the prologue and epilogue of his death.

“It’s more about this justice system, and that’s still happening today, and it’s about intolerance to people that look different. I mean you look at even Orlando, communities that aren’t like you, it’s easy to build hate. Lack of knowledge builds fear and fear breeds hate. Movies help teach you about other cultures,” Chick said.

Deneke’s parents said this lesson of tolerance is something their son stood for when he walked the small-town, conservative streets of Amarillo sporting a towering green Mohawk and leather jacket.

“He didn’t shut people out,” Mike Deneke said about his son. His parents remember their silly, adventurous teenager who had a knack for music and art; a human with a deep, artistic, profound soul under his punk-rock exterior.

“I hope people watch this movie who feel ostracized in their community and they feel they have a voice and they feel it’s okay to be different and to be themselves,” Davis said.

He continued, his voice growing louder and more pointed, “I hope people who don’t feel ostracized in their community, who maybe have been on the ostracizing side of their community, will watch this movie and realize there is a different way they can act, and there’s a different way they can treat their fellow humans.”

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